


i will always hold you close (i promise i'll do better)

by lunasasylum



Series: these mistakes will be made (i promise i'll keep you safe) [1]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Awkward Romance, Awkwardness, Established Relationship, F/M, Ronnie wants to hold his hand, and doesn't know how to, and trying to figure this out, hand holding, they're dating, they're going to get it right
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-15 12:34:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13613490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunasasylum/pseuds/lunasasylum
Summary: //blushing, just as she goes to pull away, Jughead stiffens his arm, refusing to let her go.// or Jughead & Ronnie learn the art of holding hands





	i will always hold you close (i promise i'll do better)

**Author's Note:**

> I seriously did not proof this, it's like 2 in the morning...
> 
> I'll proof tomorrow.

It starts with the awkward bumping of the backs of their hands. Their both too new to each other, both too unsure of what the other wants and how to figure it out. So it had to start with the backs of their hands brushing every time they walked next to each other.

Veronica always murmured some sort of apology, even if she wasn't actually sorry. She wants to hold his hand but she doesn't know how to do it without scaring him off. So, instead she settles for the constant brushing, and screams in her head. _Jughead Jones actually makes her nervous_.

Nervous to the point where her 'take charge' attitude serves her no good.

And Jughead tries, but everything went so fast with Archie, he doesn't want to be him. And he's not. He's not overly confident, he's not smooth, all he knows is that he likes Veronica, a lot. He likes her enough to take his time. Even with the simple stuff like holding hands. Every time he thinks he might, he wonders if she wants to and decides not to.

_How would they even hold hands?_

_Interlocked fingers?_

_Hand in hand?_

It takes a while. Much too long, Veronica would later recall.

Then, after weeks of accidental brushing, bumps, and knocks for them to actually give it a chance. They're sitting on the couch at school, Veronica's scrolling through her phone while Jughead sits next to her, simply enjoying her company. Leaning off of her wrist, Veronica rests her hand on her knees. Glancing down and thinking into things way too much, Jughead waits a while, and then goes for it. 

Slowly sliding his fingers on the inside of her wrist, he carefully slides his palm against, hesitating only for a second. Once his fingers find the spaces between hers, he settles on a loose hold, and it stays that way for all of 2 seconds before Veronica locks their fingers together. Jughead doesn't miss the smile that fights it's way on to her face, and stays for the rest of the day. And intertwined they stay. 

So, they interlock fingers. All the time, even when Veronica blushes and her palms get sweaty, even when Jughead has to slow down to keep pace and walk with her.

Occasionally, on the days when Veronica's feeling small, feeling inside herself, she holds him with both hands. She wraps both hands around his one, and reminds herself that he is there, and he's real, and they're  _together_. Her fingers trail on the inside of his arm, going under the very ends of his jacket sleeves, and staying around the inside of his forearm.

And on the (rare) days when Jughead's feeling confident, feeling more than himself, he'll wrap an arm around her shoulder, pulling her back into his chest. She can feel his heart beating against her spine, and he feels even more secure with her on his side.

Eventually it turns into her simply grabbing his free hand, and lightly holding it, running her manicured nails along his veins watching goosebumps appear. She'll sit it in her lap, wrap her pinky around his when she's going for some sort of subtlety. 

As they grow more comfortable, Jughead rests a hand on her knee, like he'd rest his hand anywhere else. Veronica would nudge closer, allowing him easier space to touch her. Her fingers loop through the bottom of his neck when she's standing in front of him. She recognizes his hands on her hips better than the sound of her mother's voice.

Jughead eventually learns that Veronica hates when he holds her elbow, but will follow him anywhere if his hand is on the small of her back. She'll relax into his touch when he trails his fingers down her spine, and she shivers when he touches her collarbones. 

It's only pointed out to them when a mildly irritated Archie points it out. "Okay, can you guys hold off on the touching for like five minutes? Seriously, it's annoying." 

Veronica's eyes flick to where her hand rests in Jughead's hair, and where his sit on her waist. Blushing, just as she goes to pull away, Jughead stiffens his arm, refusing to let her go.

"No." Jughead bites and Veronica brushes a hair from his eyes.

Looking back up to Betty who sits there slightly uncomfortably, Veronica quickly changes the topic, but doesn't unwind herself from Jughead's embrace.

Back at FP's trailer, in the dark of Jughead's bedroom, Veronica curled around his side.

Picking up the hand that rested on his rib cage, Veronica kissed his palm.

"Why'd you do that?" Jughead whispered, scared to break the spell of the moment.

Veronica sighed, "Because your hands don't hurt."

_Your hands don't hurt._


End file.
